The Last Horcrux
by goldenthestral
Summary: harry died trying to kill voldemort. luckily his friends finished him off. but then, was this all a sham. what was the real prophesy and what actually happenned? find out.
1. Chapter 1

**The Last Horcrux**

**Prologue**

It is said that your whole life flashes across your eyes, the moment you look at death in its face. It's true. Or at least as it seemed to Harry Potter.

It had been six months since the death of Dumbledore. The image of the killing curse escaping Snape's wand was still very clear in his mind. And now a very similar, albeit a lot more powerful curse, streaked towards him. In less than a flash of a second, Harry saw his life. From being a slave to Dursleys, to his rise to unprecedented fame and the roller coaster life which came with it. The fickleness of the wizarding world and betrayal of his trust to the friends he had made and people he had lost.

He recalled his endeavor over the last four months to find the horcruxes. With the help of information left by Dumbledore, he had been able to destroy nearly all of them except the Gryffindor Horcrux. He could not find it. He had tried the sword but it turned out to be an enchanted sword, not a Horcrux. However, Voldemort had somehow figured what he was doing and had attacked them inside Hogwarts.

The school had not opened last year and at the moment. It was housing the resistance. But Voldemort had brought the fight here. He had ruined all the plans that Harry had had. With the help of his friends, he was sure that once the last Horcrux had been found, it would all be over. But that was not to be.

He realized it as all flashed by in a second. He threw up a marble to intercept the curse, but Voldemort's curse was just too fast.

A split second later, it impacted him on his chest. A bright green halo surrounded him for a second and then it was over. Harry Potter, as we know him ceased to exist. He fell down and several shocked screams erupted from people who had stopped fighting to see the duel of the dark lord and his nemesis.

(((o)))

The spirit of nearly all who were fighting for the light broke that second. The death eaters on the other hand were joyous beyond measure. In the moment, everyone forgot about the wizard on the other side being totally vulnerable. Hence no step was taken.

Tom riddle aka Voldemort was unaware of it all. He was looking intently at the slumped figure of Harry Potter. In his very heart, he was not sure that it was still over. Moreover, the green halo surrounding the boy who lived was slowly being absorbed into him. It was not supposed to happen. Just to make sure, he cast a diagnostic spell at potter. To his utter glee, there was no response. It could only mean that Harry was dead.

His eyes shone unearthly, devilishly, in an insane manner as he bellowed upon the confirmation of his victory over the one person who had been a thorn in his side since forever.

Suddenly, his laughter was stifled from within as a dull pain seemed to prevail all through his chest.

The green halo that had enveloped the body of Harry Potter had all but been absorbed by him and a second later, there was a huge burst of light and wave of magic erupted. It was felt be all as many staggered back and some even fell down. An instant later, a sinewy silver form escaped his body.

The pain seemed to increase in his chest and now centered on his heart. The dark lord, despite all his power, fell down on his knees clutching his heart.

(((o)))

In the mean time, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Bill & mad-eye-moody had reached the fallen form of Harry and Voldemort. The pain, anger and hurt that had their heart brimming brought all three of the closest friends to point their wands at the fallen form of lord Voldemort and almost in unison, they cast the one spell they had never been successful in casting. Three broad rays of sickly green light erupted from the tip of their wands and slammed into the dark lord.

In an instant, the form of Voldemort slumped to the ground. More than that, loud screams could be heard from the mouths of all the death eaters.

(((o)))

Everybody was shocked. A few moments later, all the screams stopped and an eerie silence enveloped everybody. All the death-eaters had fallen down, clutching their dark mark.

Mad-eye was the first person to come to his senses. He apparated straight to Harry's body and checked for his pulse. There was none.

He turned around and walked towards Voldemort. He checked him as well. There was no pulse. He checked again with several spells. He was sure. Voldemort was no more.

The drops of tear which had been hanging from his eyes broke free as he let himself go and lay down on the ground. After a long-long time, he felt that the weight on his shoulder had been lifted. He then heard a loud roar of cheer from everybody as they celebrated the demise of the dark lord. He knew no more as he closed his eyes and let his tiredness take him into the arms of sleep.

Bill, on the other hand was checking on Ron, Ginny and Hermione. They too had been exhausted after casting a powerful killing curse. He activated their personal portkeys which sent them straight to the annals of Madame Pomfrey's clinic.

He then walked towards Harry's body. It was still lying there. Mad eye was slumped a bit further. He bent down and checked on Harry once more. Somewhere inside his heart, he did not believe Harry to be dead. But all hopes were quashed when he checked for the pulse. Tears filled his eyes at seeing the life of such a fine man being sacrificed.

He looked back at all the people who were busy laughing and crying. He suddenly felt a perverse hatred towards all of them. All of them were busy laughing and had totally forgotten about the one people who had actually given them deliverance.

He turned around and put the strongest stasis field on the body of Harry. It was the one which was used on mummies in ancient Egypt. He wanted to make sure that the whole fickle wizarding world realized their folly when they see some-one of such pure heart being sacrificed for their safety.

A few minutes later, he portkeyed to Hogwarts with Harry, mad eye and the body of Voldemort.

Shacklebolt had remained behind to take stock of death eaters.

(((o)))

The next morning was one of the most momentous one in the recent history of the wizarding world. All of the world, not only British but everywhere else as well, were celebrating the demise of Voldemort. The entire British ministry was reveling in gratitude they were getting from everywhere. All credit was being absorbed by them. Despite the fact that Minister Rufus had been obstructing the resistance, he now was taking the full credit.

Hermione, Ron and Ginny were still in the hospital. They hadn't woken up as yet.

Four days later, a huge funeral took place at Godrics hollow. Harry was laid beside his parents. Soon after, all three of Harry's friends left the wizarding world with the money they had received with their order of Merlin, first class. Soon, they were lost in the mist of time and became part of the legends.

Until one day,…..

**Author's notes**

This idea has been assaulting my mind literally every time I sit down to write my other story. So I thought I would just get it over with. I haven't read anything like this ever, so just let me know if the idea I will share with you in the next few chapters is original or not. And no. my other story will be updated pretty soon.

Ah! Yes, there is a story after the end of Harry potter. The last three words should be proof enough.

gt


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry potter and neither is this fic being written for any financial reasons. Harry potter is and will remain the creation of JKR _

Harry Potter & the Last Horcrux

Chapter 2: Four Years Later

Over the last four years, several things had changed, but most of them had remained the same. The bigotry, hypocrisy and most of all, the contempt that most of the wizard world felt for the muggle world. What had changed was the fact that a few people on the other side of the spectrum were missing. The people who believed in sacrifice, goodwill and pureness of heart were being subjugated day by day.

In the aftermath of the triumph of Harry potter over the dark wizard known as Voldemort, the truth about tom riddle had come out. The fact that he was a muggle-born, yet the last of the slytherins had had quite an unexpected result. Contrary to being rejoiced by being saved by a mixed heritaged Harry potter, they all seemed to shrink in the depth of fear of muggle-borns. Over the last few years, more and more people had started to hire only pure-bloods in the position of power and primarily in top posts of the ministry. The discrimination rose to new heights and mostly everybody felt that a new dark age had nearly come-over the British magical world.

It was more due to the fact that everybody knew that the last Horcrux had not been destroyed. That, more than anything else had everybody on their defensive. With the only hope of the wizarding world, Harry Potter, buried under six feet of dirt, nobody knew what the future would be should he-who-must-not-be-named ever managed to come back.

Top people like Alastor Moody, Bill Weasley, Ron, Ginny and Hermione etc had long been gone from here. Unable to cope with the outcome of the war and it's cost, they had escaped the wizarding society. They all were tired and escaped into the oblivion. Nearly nobody knew where, and most importantly, no body even tried to find out.

* * *

Hogwarts was nothing but a shadow of its former self. McGonagall had started to look the age that she wasn't and the teacher's did not have the drive to go on.

But these are just small things. These affected only less than 1 of all British wizarding population. Most of them lived the same way. Not happy, yet unconcerned about all things because they were mostly unaffected due to it. Most muggleborns had been included in the society but any new muggleborns were normally obliviated and a spell put on them to bind there powers.

By far, Britain had out done itself over accumulating the status of a corrupt wizarding government and no longer carried the aura of a happy place. If one word could describe the state, it was anarchy.

Though nobody knew it, the wind of change was coming.

All in all, it was a very sad state of affairs.

* * *

In a small place that had become a sort of legend in the last few years was none-other than the place Harry Potter had been buried a few years ago. Due to reasons unknown, a magic dampening field had established itself over the place. The strange effects it had on magic as well as muggle technology had made it a magnetic for all people into the paranormal phenomenon in the muggle world as well as a few adventurers willing to come into such a hypocrite society.

There were various accounts of people who had experienced the strange effect. The effect was quite strange. It felt like a void. Kind of a black hole where all normal energies seem to dissipate into nothingness. It was empty, yet many empaths had felt a strange sense of conflict.

Several theories had been put up, some more fantastic than the others but none of them true. Fact is often stranger than fiction, and this time it was more than 'stranger'; it was fantastic. In a few seconds, one of the greatest mysteries in modern magic would be solved. And several myths would need to undergo the test of reality to prove their mere existence.

In a few seconds, the world would change.

* * *

There is a small island, somewhere in the Indian Ocean. It does not exist in any map, nor do many have knowledge of the same. The climate is good, the atmosphere healthy and people even healthier. That is, if we talk about their bodies. But as far as the soul is concerned, each one of them has a hole in it. Some small and some big; some healed and some healing. But any wound, no matter how well it heals, leaves a mark. And each one of the residents of the island has a scar. For here it is we find the forgotten heroes of yesteryear living their lives.

Some would have thought that they would be a broken bunch, bitter after the death of many of their beloveds; but too much time had passed by. Wounds had healed and all of them.

Strangely it was Hermione who led them. Although much senior people like Alastor Moody, Arthur & Molly Weasley were there. Yet, all had felt the strong sense of purpose fill the young witch soon after they had healed a bit. And now, they had been functioning almost normally for he last three years.

As we go into Hermione's office right now and look at her, we see a severe looking young woman, hair tied tightly behind; reading glasses perched a bit below on the crook of her nose with a quill being chewed intermittently. She had several scrolls lying in from of her desk and it was obvious that she was busy doing something.

It was just then that she felt her bracelet become warm up a bit. It was a magical bracelet which all four of them had gotten before the final battle. It had four stones. Green emerald for Harry, yellow quartz for Ginny, red ruby for Ron and a blue sapphire for her. It was charmed to heat up if any one of them was in trouble and break into two if they died. There must have been something wrong because the Harry's emerald had blackened with cracks all over it but still not split in two.

A slight shiver of fear passed her back as she gazed again at the bracelet. Both Ron and Ginny were away at the moment and she shuddered at the thought of something going wrong with any of them. She was surprised as the source of heat was not the yellow or red stones, but rather the black stone that once represented Harry. She was amazed as she saw the cracks slowly disappearing and a soft light pulse over the stone. Slowly but surely the stone was returning to the green it once was.

She suddenly heard a small chirp in the communicator that she was wearing. She knew it would be Ron and Ginny.

* * *

In the Godrics hollow, all the animals were running away. There must have been something to make them act like this.

Suddenly, with three distinct pops, Hermione, Ron and Ginny appear out of thin air and start running towards the grave of Harry potter. Within a few minutes, they reach there and frantically try to dig. The magic was very erratic here and none of them had any intention of doing something irreversibly wrong. However, they need not have worried.

Suddenly, in a large flash, they could feel the dampening field go and a few seconds later, the casket holding Harry's body rose and floated in the air.

As Hermione floated the casket down and opened it, they saw Harry's body enshrouded in some kind of haze. It was like a green aura trying to break through a red aura. Suddenly, in a flash, the green aura overflowed the red. All three of them had to cover their eyes. A few seconds later, when they opened their eyes again, they could see the chest moving up & down, albeit very slowly.

For these three friends, the world had changed.

For everybody else, the world would change a lot.

_Autho__r's note:_

_Next chapter would break up and detail the fulfillment of prophecy. I feel that JKR's wouldn't be far off from my interpretation._

_gt_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry potter and neither is this fic being written for any financial reasons. Harry potter is and will remain the creation of JKR_

Harry Potter & the Last Horcrux

Chapter 3: Harry Awakes

Next day morning, there was a huge headline in the Daily Prophet

**Harry Potter's Grave Desecrated: Has the Dark Lord Returned?**

By Lois Little

In perhaps one of the most atrocious moves in modern wizarding day, we witnessed the theft of the body of the savior of the wizarding world, Harry Potter.

To remind the readers, Mr Potter had been laid to rest in the Godrics hollow, besides the grave of his deceased parents. Yet, people would remember it more as one of the mysteries of modern world as a magic dampening field had established itself over the area. Due to the same, normal precaution taken by the wizarding government to keep it away from the muggle world had proven to be futile.

Yet, sometime last night, the dampening field had been removed by someone very powerful and the body of the savior of the wizarding world has been stolen.

One must realize that the only wizards powerful enough to do something like this were Albus Dumbledore (who died by the hands of Severus Snape), Harry Potter (Whose body has been stolen) and the dark lord.

Clearly only one of them has achieved to return from the dead.

The question we must ask is, "Has the Dark Lord returned?"

* * *

In previous years, before Voldemort, such a headline would not have been possible. But now-a-days, when the minister of magic Rufus Scrimgeour had to resort to all sorts of nefarious practices to keep him self in power, this had been a boon. He was completely confident that he-who-must-not-be-named was dead, yet the public still lived under the threat. As the dark lord had returned once before, everybody feared that he could return once again. It was this fear that he had decided to inculcate in the minds of the English wizard world to continue to rule his fiefdom. 

It was not at all surprising when the entire Diagon alley closed down, before it had even properly opened.

The only store to remain open was the WWW, the joke shop run by one of the two most important businessmen in the wizarding world and friends of the late Harry Potter, Fred & George Weasley.

Unknown to many, they had been the leaders of the small resistance movement against the atrocities doled out by the government. In the wake of the announcement, several people started to pop in to the extra basement which had been created for only such an emergency purpose.

The meeting went till late afternoon. There was only chaos and no order. The new threat had completely taken over the psyche of normal wizards.

As Fred looked at his other half, the time had come to put their emergency plan in action. It was their last promise to Harry and come hell or high water, they would honor it.

* * *

In the ministry, there was chaos as well. Rufus was trying his best, but he had overplayed his hand and now he was not in a position to manage the aftereffects. He was even more stung by the absence of several of his key staff. They might have been secretaries and ministers and officers, yet none of them had reached here through merit. All the present officials were as corrupt as the ministry. And all corrupts share a common trait, they are cowards. 

All of them had been practicing grafts and had illegal stashes at Gringotts. Over the next few hours, lots of people moved their money and the wizarding economy went into utter chaos.

It was a position not very dissimilar to that of the crash of 1929 in the US. In a period of few days, it was a melt down. Rich people ran with what they could and few opportunists stayed behind. But mostly everyone else did not have the luxury or the means to escape. All this, just because a body was stolen from a graveyard.

* * *

What is it that one feels when he gets out of a soul tearing endeavor. No-One knows. Perhaps the best combination we can think of is fatigue and perhaps a little bit of bliss. But most of all, it has to be confusion. And such was the case of Harry Potter. As he opened his eyes, he found the eye lids too heavy. After not being used for nearly four years, they had too been getting rusty. Had it not been for the spell placed by Bill, his body would have been in a far worse position. Not to say that he knew about it at the moment. 

As he opened his eyes, he found it too bright for his liking and closed his eyes. He drifted away into the Netherlands of fatigue.

Over the next few days, his episodes of getting up seemed to become more frequent and he remembered seeing shadows which seemed quite similar. At one time he thought that he had died and was in some kind of journey between the next great adventure. But of late, he felt it was wrong. He didn't know how or why, it felt wrong. And then one day he started to remember.

* * *

It had been nearly a month since Hermione, Ron & Ginny had returned with Harry. The small island had been turned into a veritable fortress with the jaw-bridge up. Everyday, potions were being injected into Harry's body to replenish the loss. Bill had been brought in specifically because of his knowledge on animating the mummies. Unfortunately, no kind of spell seemed to work on Harry. In the beginning, he just lied on the bed, opening his eyes every other day. Slowly, he started to thrash about. In one it was good because his muscles could use a bit of exercise after being atrophied for so long.

But lately, one could hear anguish and screams which were unearthly. They were lucky his throat had not damaged itself.

Hermione and Poppy had tried several spells to diagnose Harry, but it had been of no avail. All they got were numbers which were contradictory and it was obvious that they were not working at all.

In the last day or say, Harry had gone silent and slept. They all hoped that the worst had been dealt with and waited for their friend and beloved would return.

It was night when Harry started to stir a bit. He opened his eyes and saw someone who looked a lot like Hermione sitting on a rocking chair besides him. He could see her looking straight out of the window at the sky. Small tears were glistening at her cheek, a very old looking book sat on her lap as she rocked to and fro in a natural rhythm. He could not help but smile.

"Hermy", Harry tried to say but all he could hear was a croak.

Hermione moved and jumped in the same motion and as it was a rocking chair rather than a normal chair, she lost her balance as the chair tilted under her shifted weight and fell over with a thud.

Harry could not help a small smile escape his lips as he saw Hermione on her, so to say, bum but with a smile that could have lit up the whole sky. An instant later, she was up and embraced Harry as hard as she could.

Just behind her, the door banged open as several people entered after hearing Hermione fall. Harry saw Ron, Ginny, Bill, Moody, Arthur, Remus etc running in. after seeing him; they all had tears in their eyes as they saw Harry smile weakly from around Hermione's shoulder.

Just behind them, Molly bustled in.

She stopped, eyes filling with tears and then strode in.

"Young man, you should be ashamed of yourself. Didn't I teach you anything about eating? Look how thin you've…" Just then she broke down and wept into the shoulders of Arthur as everybody marveled at the return of Harry Potter.

Half an hour later, things were a bit more relaxed. Harry had been removed to the same rocking chair Hermione had been using, although, now they were sitting in front of a fireplace.

Everybody had come in and sat around him. An uneasy quiet fell upon the assemblage. In the past few minutes, Hermione had given Harry a few more potions which had now improved his voice to the degree that he did not have to croak and he felt a lot better.

Although nobody asked him anything, he knew the burning question in all their minds. It was not a secret and he could read their thoughts quite easily.

Everybody in the inner circle knew that before the final showdown, they had been unable to destroy the last Horcrux. In their minds, there was still a possibility that tom could rise from the dead. He did not know what to tell them or more importantly how to tell them. Would they understand or would they hate him. He knew that all of their perspective would change. But could he lie?

'No!' he decided. His new life would no longer be based on falsehoods. He was who he was and he would not lie.

He looked up and a strange calm engulfed him. He looked into the eyes of everybody looking at him. It was obvious that whatever Harry was about to tell them was not pretty. Every one of them could feel it in their bones.

Harry closed his eyes once and opened them again, all doubts cleared and resolution clear in his mind. Suddenly, he felt very powerful.

Then he uttered the four words which changed the world.

"Harry Potter is dead!"

Author's Notes:

I hope you like the see-saw. Sorry, I thought that I would open the secret of the prophecy in this chapter but this was too good a place to stop. I hope you have reviews up your sleeves. I may have had a long case of writers block, but I don't think you would be too dissatisfied by the explanation.

gt


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